In a month we reached our goal and raised just over $75,000. In this post, I will talk about four important strategies that the filmmakers and producers used to increase their pool of possible donors.

1) Swag

People want to help your cause, but they also want to get something in return. Whether it’s a thank you credit or an autographed card or a ping pong party, whatever you can offer for the smallest and biggest donations are always appreciated.

2) Exclusive videos and updates

You only have a month to gain as many supporters as you can to reach your goal, you want to keep people engaged in your project and show them how much you have to offer. Every week, there was a new and cool video that the filmmakers posted to get more eyes on their page.

3) Outreach over social media and the internet

In order to spread the word about our project, my duties were to contact blogs, forums and use social media to get people interested in the niches of the documentary (Asian American community, table tennis lovers, athletes, etc.). People blogged about us, argued about us over table tennis forums, and shared with their friends.

4) Plea from the filmmakers

Towards the end, the filmmakers made videos of themselves and special guests with pleas to support the project. This gave a personal touch to it and fans could see how much the filmmakers cared and actually wanted to do this.